By the end of July, a new round of the World Coronation Series was set to begin, and this year's venue was none other than the Wyndon Stadium in the Galar region.
Top Trainers from around the world had gathered, and for a while, the entire city of Wyndon was filled with unmatched strength and intense energy.
Everywhere you looked, you could spot young Trainers in sleek competitive outfits, along with powerful, gleaming Pokémon that had clearly undergone serious training.
Up in the grandstands of the Wyndon Stadium, Leon stood with his arms crossed, Charizard at his side, watching the spectacle unfold below.
Down on the field, the Ultra Class qualifying rounds were underway.
A fierce Electabuzz was battling a lightning-fast Beedrill.
Sparks crackled across the battlefield. Beedrill zipped back and forth with dazzling speed, afterimages trailing behind it. It danced gracefully around Electabuzz's Thunderbolt attacks, dodging each strike like a performer on a razor's edge.
Then, in a blur of silver light, Beedrill's twin stingers flashed forward, Fell Stinger struck cleanly into Electabuzz's side.
The electric Pokémon let out a pained cry as the current surrounding its body flickered and vanished. A moment later, its large frame collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.
A drone-like Rotom Drone swooped in to assess the fallen Pokémon. After scanning Electabuzz and confirming it could no longer battle, the Rotom announced the outcome in a booming electronic voice:
"Electabuzz is unable to battle! The winner is Beedrill!
Ding! The rankings have been updated!"
The crowd erupted with cheers.
Fans raised their glowsticks in celebration, waving them wildly to cheer on the victorious Trainer and Pokémon.
"What an incredible atmosphere!" Leon exclaimed, eyes shining with excitement.
And this was just the Ultra Class preliminaries. He could only imagine the level of intensity when the Masters Eight Tournament officially kicked off.
By then, Wyndon Stadium would be packed to the brim. Every seat filled. The roar of the crowd would be deafening.
Leon turned and made his way out of the stadium.
On either side of the exit path, fans had gathered in waves, waving banners and chanting his name.
The moment Leon appeared, the crowd's energy surged.
"Champion Leon, we're counting on you! Don't let those other champs take the crown!"
"We'll always support you!"
Leon smiled at the crowd, then gave a confident wink and struck a heroic pose.
"No worries! I won't let you down!" he declared, drawing another round of cheers.
At this point, the champions from every region and the top-ranking Trainers from last year's Masters Eight had already arrived in Wyndon.
Among them were Lance, the runner-up from the last tournament; Steven of the Hoenn region; Cynthia, the reigning Sinnoh Champion; and Diantha from Kalos, among others.
Leon had successfully defended his title as Monarch last year, and this time, he was once again prepared to give it his all.
But this year… things would be harder.
In his mind, Leon recalled the Pokémon surrounding Naoki, and even he had to admit, they were a tough bunch.
A Gogoat whose stamina seemed as endless as spring grass, a Dragonite, and Pawmot that commanded storm and thunder…
Just thinking about them gave Leon a headache.
This time, he'd need to bring out 100% of his strength.
But then again, did Naoki even know the World Championships had already started?
Leon pulled out his Rotom Phone and dialed Tree House Ranch.
...
At Tree House Ranch, it was another warm and sunny day.
While Iono was away working, Naoki had some free time. He entrusted little Elara to the care of the Three Legendary Beasts, and with the help of the Indeedee siblings, he took down the quilts and bedsheets from the house, gave them a good wash, and hung them neatly on the clothesline to dry in the sun.
Across the ranch, the Pokémon were also lending a helping hand in their own special ways.
Dragonite stood by the edge of the fields, looking up at the sky as if in silent prayer. A moment later, a patch of dark clouds drifted in, settling directly above the farmland. Soon, a gentle drizzle began to fall, softly watering the thriving crops below.
By the chicken coop, Pawmot swung open the gate and gave a cheerful call, ushering the hens out to forage. The group of Meltan trailing behind swarmed into the coop, diligently collecting freshly laid eggs and placing them into a nearby basket with care.
On the grassy pasture, Elara was gleefully playing her favorite game, "Riding the Big Horse."
She sat atop Raikou, gripping his thick mane with her tiny hands as the Thunder Beast trotted gently across the field. The breeze swept across Elara's cheeks as the landscape slid past, and her delighted laughter echoed far and wide, brightening the whole ranch.
Naoki, having just finished hanging up the laundry, raised his hand to block the dazzling sun. He glanced over to where Elara was riding, and seeing her joy as she played with Raikou, he couldn't help but smile.
There was still work to be done. Next up on his to-do list: grooming the two steeds of the Calyrex.
He grabbed a grooming brush and headed to the stable, where both Glastrier and Spectrier were already waiting. The moment they saw the brush in Naoki's hand, their eyes lit up with excitement.
Even Legendary Pokémon could behave like ordinary ones when it came to a good brushing.
They genuinely enjoyed it.
The rhythmic strokes of the brush helped remove dust and dirt from their coats, keeping them clean and comfortable. Glastrier, with its pristine white fur and slightly aloof personality, had a particular fondness for cleanliness. When its coat got dirty, it would become noticeably agitated.
But the moment Naoki laid the brush on Glastrier's back, the usually grumpy ice steed visibly relaxed and melted into the treatment.
This kind of pampering wasn't something they had ever experienced before.
Even back when they ruled over the Crown Tundra, they had never been treated like this.
And compared to those lonely, frigid days of the past… both Glastrier and Spectrier had come to genuinely prefer life here, at the peaceful, sunlit ranch.
After all, this ranch had endless rows of Ice Carrots and Shade root Carrots, and the horses got regular grooming. Just thinking about it made them happy.
One of the horses even lifted its tail and wagged it excitedly.
Naoki noticed and was momentarily speechless.
"Well then," he muttered, "glad you're enjoying it."
Just as he was about to say something else, Fluttermane came waddling over in a hurry, flapping his tiny wings while carrying Naoki's Rotom Phone in his claws.
The device was ringing loudly.
Someone was calling.
Naoki reached out and took the phone from Fluttermane's grasp, then tapped the green button to answer.
The next moment, Leon's grinning face filled the screen.
"Leon?" Naoki blinked in surprise.
From the background noise, he could tell Leon was somewhere crowded and noisy, it sounded like some kind of major event.
Leon's signature wide grin beamed through the screen. "Naoki! It's time!"
Naoki blinked, still confused. "Time for what?"
Was it something related to Eternatus?
But Leon quickly clarified, "The World Coronation Series has officially started!"
"The Masters Eight?" Naoki immediately caught on.
Leon nodded enthusiastically. "Right now, we're still in the Champion Class stage. The high-ranking qualifiers are underway. Once they finish, we'll be moving into the final round, the Masters Eight!"
Leon then began listing the lineup from the previous season. "Last time, the Masters Eight included me, Lance from Kanto, Steven Stone from Hoenn, Cynthia from Sinnoh, Diantha from Kalos, Raihan from Galar, Flint from Sinnoh, and Iris from Unova!"
"Have you made up your mind yet? Are you going to enter this year's World Championship?" Leon's eyes gleamed with hope.
Naoki chuckled. "If I said no, wouldn't that let you down?"
...
Bonus @1000
You can support me on patreon and read chapters ahead @patreon.com/Keepsmiling818